Heat Wave
by Astro Latte
Summary: Heat is said to affect a person's persona, making them agitated and uncomfortable. However, can it possibly make a person jealous as well? VxM
1. Act I

**Heat Wave **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.**

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"_Get out your shorts and sunscreen, Gunsmoke, because it's one heck of a heat wave out there! Yes indeed, with temperatures sky rocketing t-"_

By then Milly had shut off the radio, to Vash's great relief. "It's too hot to be reminded of the temperature." she said while waving a handmade fan in front of her face. The tall woman was not wearing her usual work cloths and instead sported shorts and a sleeveless white shirt. She actually looked like a _girl _and not a construction worker.

Vash would've complimented her on her looks, but was too engaged in sitting in front of the fan and panting like a dog. It was too hot to gel his hair up, so it pretty much looked like a mop on his head making him even hotter.

"Can't…breathe…so hot…" he continued his panting.

"You know, Vash, it would be much cooler if you didn't wear that long sleeved shirt and slacks."

He turned his head to Meryl and was about to retaliate when he noticed the short girl was wearing her waitress uniform…without her leggings. Vash began to pant for a reason other than the heat.

"Wow, Sempai, no leggings today? I'm sure the men at the bar with have a nice surprise!" Milly teased.

The tiny woman snorted. "Yeah, the only surprise they'll be getting is a tray in the back of their head." She then walked over to the mirror and began to put in her earrings. "Vash quit panting! It's irritating and you sound like a dog."

"Well," he said, taking the opportunity to look at her legs. He never noticed it before, but for someone Meryl's size she had great legs. "I figured if it worked for dogs it might work for me."

Meryl rolled her eyes and continued to gussy up.

"How's my brother?" he asked now looking up at her.

"He's fine…other than wanting to kill all humanity." she answered, "I gave him his lunch and the pain-killers the doctor prescribed. The weird thing about them is they completely knock him out. He'll probably be asleep for the rest of the day."

"Um…is that supposed to happen?"

"I don't know…but it sure makes it easier to care for him." She gave Vash a sly look. "Maybe I'll try it on you and see if works."

Vash gulped.

"Well I'm off. See you later tonight." she waved goodbye and left though the front door.

The blonde gunman then collapsed onto the floor and pouted. "Ugh! Make this heat go away!" He then heard giggling from the other side of the room. He turned his head to the side and saw Milly trying her hardest to suppress her laughter. "What's so funny, big girl? You don't get some weird morbid satisfaction from my suffering, do you?"

"Oh it's not that, Mr. Vash." she said between giggles.

"Then what is it?"

"It's just…" By now her giggles had erupted into full blown laughter. "It's so funny that you and Sempai like each other and just can't tell each other! You're acting like a couple of schoolchildren with a crush."

Vash nearly face faulted. "Milly," his voice was firm. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't. The only reason you're here is because I'm your _assignment_, and until Bernardelli takes you off my back you have no other choice but to stay here."

Her laughter clamed down and she sighed. "Boy, Mr. Vash, you sure are slow sometimes…"

"What do you mean by that?" he asked curiously, but the tall woman simply shook her head and got up from her chair to clean the morning's dishes.

--

The topic did not resurface, leaving Vash and Milly to spend most of the day in front of the fan playing chess.

"Hey, Milly?" he asked during one of their millionth games of chess that day.

"Yes?" she answered while moving her piece.

Vash inwardly winced, that was a good move. "Shouldn't you be at work or something? Normally I'm home alone all day." His eyed scanned the board for a good move. "Not that I mind or anything…I was just wondering." Damn, why were there no good moves?

Milly took a sip of her tea. "Well, after one of the workers fainted from Heat Exhaustion, Foreman Ken said that we weren't allowed to work at the Well until this Heat wave broke." She watched as Vash made his move. "I'm thinking of it as a mini-vacation."

"I see…" He silently pondered the irony of men suffering from heat exhaustion when they were working in a well filled with water all day.

"Checkmate, Mr. Vash." Milly said sweetly, too sweetly for his liking.

The outlaw's eyes widen in amazement. "Again? That has to be the billionth time you've beat me!" He looked at the woman who sat across from him, he had played chess for nearly a hundred and fifty years undefeated (not counting the times Knives beat him on the Seeds Ship) and he managed to get his butt kicked by a happy insurance agent. "I must be getting rusty…"

"We can play again, Mr. Vash." she said. "I'll even give you a handicap!"

"Handicap?" he laughed. "I am Vash the Stampede, the man with sixty-billion-double-dollars on his head! I am known to destroy entire cities with the flick of my wrist!" He then twisted into a dramatic pose. "I do not need…a handicap!"

"No, you need a brain!" came Meryl's exasperated tone.

The voice startled Vash and sent him falling to the floor with a loud thump. "Owie…" he whined.

"Oh hello, Sempai!" greeted Milly. "Who's your friend?"

At the mention of a visitor, the blonde immediately untangled himself from the ground and shot to his feet. He noticed the man standing next to Meryl…a little _too_ close. He instantly felt an unfamiliar surge of emotion that left a metallic taste in his mouth.

The tall man had dark brown hair falling just past his chin in giving him a rather disheveled look. He had light skin and bright blue eyes, along with a strong chin and a plastic smile.

"Hello there!" The nameless man greeted and it took everything in Vash's will to keep from growling at him. What was happening to him?

Meryl seemed oblivious of Vash's uneasiness and answered Milly's question. "Vash, Millie…this Mark Galvin. He's a friend of mine from the tavern."

"Actually," he interrupted. "I'm not _from_ the tavern. I actually work as a legal representative from Gambit and Gaffer. I'm hoping to start my own office later this year."

Vash was tempted to ask if everyone at the law firm had to have a last name that started with "G" to qualify, but thought against it.

"How did you meet Sempai then?" Milly asked innocently.

"Well, one day my colleagues and I were having lunch at the tavern when I saw a very lovely waitress," he then smiled at Meryl. "Since then I've stopped by every night to greet my favorite server."

Vash's fist clenched as the small woman rolled her eyes. "Not the mention the fact that you're in love with the taverns cheeseburgers."

The man nodded, "That too."

Meryl laughed and gave her friend a hug. "Thanks for walking me home, Mark."

"Anytime, Mer." He waved goodbye to the other housemates and left.

Vash watched the small woman take off her shoes. "So," he said, trying hard to sound nonchalant, "Is that your boyfriend?"

He watched her as she nearly fell over her shoes from surprise. "What?"

"I asked if he's your boyfriend." he repeated quickly, almost bitterly.

She laughed, "No, of course not. He's just a nice guy who wanted to walk me home, that all." She made her way to the stove. "Mm…Milly this look-"

"He seems shady."

Meryl spun around, the gleam in her eyes telling Vash that her patience was nearly up. However he pressed on, "His hair…it's too shaggy for an attorney. H-"

"He gels it back for work, stupid. By the time he comes to the tavern he's pretty much exhausted and then the gel wears off." she rolled her eyes. "Why the hell does it bother you so much that a guy walked me home?"

An excellent question, why _did_ it bother him that he walked her home? "I-It doesn't!" he exclaimed, hoping to sound convincing. "It's just…It's just…"

"What, Vash?" Meryl snapped. "It's just what?"

For some reason Vash seemed to ignore the voice in his head that screamed _'WARNING! WARNING! YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE AN ASS OF YOURSELF! PLEASE ABORT! PLEASE ABORT!'_ Along with Milly's warnings of quickly shaking her head and making an "X" with her arms to try to tell him to shut up. "It's just that…I think…he's a…a…a bounty hunter!" As soon as the lie slipped his lips, he knew he was screwed.

_'SYSTEM FAIURE! SYSTEM FAILURE! PREPARE TO SELF DESTRUCT IN FIVE…'_

"Vash..." Meryl growled.

_'FOUR…' _

"Y-yes?"

_'THREE…'_

"You…"

_'TWO…'_

"Are…"

_'ONE…'_

"THE MOST SELF-CENTERED, INCONSIDERATE, EGOTISTICAL JERK I HAVE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO BE **_ASSIGNED_** TO!" she screamed before marching up the stairs and slamming the door to her and Milly's bedroom.

_'Zero.'_

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**(AN: Hello all you happy people, thanks for reading so far! I love you.**

**This _was_ going to be a One-shot, until it got rather…long. So I decided to just chop it up into chapters. It's just easier to handle, and gives me something to do.**

**Don't forget to give me some feedback! See that little blue Review button to your left? It's just waiting for you to click it. Ah, the temptation is overwhelming isn't it?)**


	2. Act II

**Heat Wave **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.**

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For the next three nights, Vash had given himself the duty of waiting on the sofa until Meryl came home from work. No matter how hot it got or late she worked, he was always there waiting for her.

And Mark was always walking her home.

Milly had tried to warn him that he would just end up annoying Meryl, but he didn't listen. She ended up always going to bed before her partner came home. She claimed it was because the heat was making her sleepy, but Vash knew it was because she didn't want to be around when Meryl finally snapped.

One particular evening, Meryl and Mark had stayed on the porch far longer than usual. Vash had a good mind to run onto porch and show Mr. Lawyer how dangerous the Humanoid Typhoon could be.

Then he remembered he left his gun in the desert and decided that glaring daggers at the front door would be just as effective.

As soon as Meryl walked in he slumped back onto the couch, acting as if he had never moved in the first place. However, he couldn't resist saying, "So did you kiss your boyfriend goodnight?"

He noticed the small woman stiffen at the question, but soon went back to the task of taking off her shoes. "You're acting like a child, Vash." she said coolly.

"No! You are!" he exclaimed pointing at the door. "Staying out all night with…with…_Mark_!" The name felt like acid on his tongue, and Vash made a mental note to wash his mouth out before going to bed. "_You're_ acting like some love struck teenager!"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Meryl let out humorless laugh, "'A love struck teenager', Vash? And I'm sure you would know."

Vash's eye narrowed, "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Don't play dumb, you know _exactly _what I mean! Mr. Vash the Stampede, the man known for chasing every godforsaken female that prances down the street!" She practically yelled the last part, and Vash had to grasp the fabric on the sofa to keep from wincing. Was _that_ what she thought of him? As some kind of play boy?

He was thrown from his thoughts when he heard her say, "You're acting so _jealous_, it's almost comical."

He heard her march up the stairs and slam the bedroom door behind her, but it didn't seem important at the time. He was too busy analyzing what she had said.

Jealous! Was _that_ what he was feeling this entire time? What is really jealousy? He wouldn't know. He had never been jealous of anyone before…well unless it was if someone had taken the last doughnut at breakfast, he had felt that. However, jealous about a person, a girl especially, he had never felt before.

That night, Vash the Stampede fell asleep on the couch drowning in his own thoughts and emotions.

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**(AN: ****I know it's short, but I have an excuse! Are you ready for it? Here goes.**

**I'm trapped in upstate New York where there is nothing but mountains, and because of this chapter had to be short. I don't really know how mountains affect the length of this chapter, but they just do. **

**Let's not question it and simply press the little Review button. It likes attention. :-3**

**P.S. Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter! It means a lot and I love you all!) **


	3. Act III

**Heat Wave **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.**

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The next morning, Vash woke up with the worse backache he had ever had in his life. He stood up and twisted himself with a loud cracks and pops. It could not be healthy for anyone to be as stiff as he was. After cracking his neck one last time, he made his way up the stairs to the bathroom. He noticed the door was closed and knocked.

"Just a minute." he heard Meryl's voice from inside.

Vash sighed and leaned his back against the door. He would have to apologize to her sooner or later. He really didn't feel like confronting her right away, but he needed to use the bathroom.

He slid down the cool faux-wood door, it was still _so_ hot out and now Vash was beginning to regret throwing his red-duster into the dessert. It was heat resistant!

The lock on the door creaked, and before Vash could move from his spot, the door swung open. He fell backwards and was looking up at Meryl. From this position he got an even better glimpse of her nice, shapely legs. Beautiful.

"Um…Good morning Meryl," He made sure to say her name, he really didn't need another lump on the head. It was still too early in the morning.

She raised an eyebrow at the bumbling blonde, "Can't you go a day without tripping over yourself?" The insurance agent walked around him and began to make her way back to her bedroom to get dressed.

Vash shot from the ground and grabbed her wrist, "Meryl, wait!" She instantly stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Meryl..." he begged, "Look at me, Meryl." She slowly turned around; her face was twisted into an adorable pout.

"What?" her tone was sharp and cut through Vash like butter. "Do you want to call me a skank now, too? Or maybe even a-"

"Meryl, would you stop yelling at me for two seconds and let me apologize?" He growled and her mouth snapped shut. "Look...I'm sorry...for what I said last night and the other night. It's just..." he trailed off when he noticed that he still held her wrist. He quickly let go and remembered how interesting the floor was.

"Just what?" Meryl asked earnestly.

What Vash wanted to say was, _'Well Insurance Girl, after an all night thinking spree, I'm pretty sure I've fallen head-over-heels in love with you and I don't know how or when this actually occurred. Also, seeing you with that creep Mark really gets me in a twist, and simply, I want to punch him in the face whenever he looks at you. So much for "Love and Peace", eh?'_

Instead he said, "It's just...I'm worried about you."

She seemed to also remember the interest of the floor, for her head dropped suddenly to examine it.

"I'm not a child, Vash," she said quietly and his heart dropped down to his ankles. "You don't have to worry about me."

All of Vash's logic suddenly left in that moment and he pulled her into an embrace. "I know," he whispered. "I can't help it."

He could've being holding her for a minute or maybe even an hour, it didn't matter to him. All he knew was when she pulled away from him that it was too soon.

"You're all sweaty." she said softly and began to unbutton his shirt, causing Vash to go into Panic-Mode. How did a hug go to her unbuttoning his shirt? How did everything just change in five seconds?

"W-w-wha...?" He couldn't form words, so a sentence was pretty much hopeless, and he felt his voice go up about ten octaves. After his buttons were done, she moved to the cuffs of his sleeves and rolled both up past his elbows. Looking proud of her work she glanced up at the speechless man with a smile. "You're gonna get heat stroke," she explained. "I'm buying you new shirts."

"But my-" She cut him off. Was she always this bossy, or was he just special?

"I don't want to hear about your scars." she stated firmly. "It's insane to walk around in long sleeves and pants." Meryl then turned on her heel and headed back towards her room, leaving Vash feeling very naked and confused in the hallway.

"Wait!" She stopped with her hand on the door knob and stared at him.

"Was that an 'I forgive you?' in girl language?"

Meryl rolled her eyes with a smile and made her way into her bedroom.

He took that as a yes.

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**(AN: Thanks so much to all you reviewers! I send you hugs and doughnuts of love!**

**After staying in the mountains for more than a couple of days, I have come to a great conclusion.**

**Nature is very dull. **

**Maybe it's just because I'm here. **

**I'm sure there are a bunch of deer watching me with binoculars going, "Okay everyone, lets all just fall asleep and not do a thing because that girl's out here and we like to mess with her! I swear it'll be hilarious!"**

**Those deer are pretty crafty.**

**The Review button called. It says it's lonely.)**


	4. Act IV

**Heat Wave **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.**

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Vash officially hated chess.

In a room that was so small it was barely a room, he sat across from his former-psychotic brother.

Yes, it was _former_-psychotic brother now. This great accomplishment was due to enough pain-killers and sedatives to bring down Gunsmoke's finest Thomas. Of course when he was awake he was still a royal pain, but he wasn't a _homicidal_ royal pain. That was progress...right?

Back on the chess board, even in Knives' medicated state of being, he was still able to beat the pants off Vash.

Why was he always being forced play chess, anyway? Couldn't they at least _once_ play checkers? Maybe even a card game. Vash was pretty sure Knives would enjoy the game "War".

"Honestly, brother, are you even trying? Have you really gotten this rusty, or were you always this bad?"

Vash gave him the dirtiest glare he could muster, "I'm sorry, I didn't have much time to practice chess while your little droogs and bounty hunters chased me to the ends of the planet and back!"

He shifted his glare to the chess board.

"Where's that tall, annoying creature?" Knives asked, leaning back onto the pillows and closing his eyes. "She's a much better player."

"Aw, Knives I'm hurt." he said in mock distress. "You rather the company of a human than your dear old brother?" Vash continued to stare at the board. Maybe while his eyes were closed he could possibly move his piece...

"Don't even try it." Knives barked causing the golden blonde's hand to twitch. "It wouldn't help you, anyway."

Vash cursed his brother's mind powers until he noticed a move and happily placed his white piece to Knives' side of the board.

"Besides," The older twin said as he gingerly picked up his black piece. "I don't rather her company. She's just a better opponent. She's also a good chess player...for a spider." Knives placed it back onto the board. "Then again nearly everyone's a better opponent that you, brother." he added with a grin. "Checkmate."

The younger twin ignored the remark. "Why Knivesy-kins...you called a human by a pronoun!" he said, giving his brother a big cheesy smile and batting his eyelashes. "And you complimented her!"

"Oh shut up," he snarled grumpily, "I was just saying that you're a terrible chess player!"

"Yeah sure..." Vash began to put the chess pieces back in the box, hopefully to never be seen again. Stupid game.

"What are you wearing, anyway?" Knives asked, changing the subject.

Looking down, Vash remembered that Meryl had followed through on her threat and actually bought him some short sleeved shirts. He was currently sporting an oversized, thin, white, T-shirt. He liked the fact that it was so baggy; it covered most of the scars on his arm.

He shrugged, "Just something a little cooler."

"It looks ridiculous."

This was coming from a guy who wore a spandex spacesuit. "It's not like I'd go out like this," he pointed to the machine gun arm that was clearly visible. "People would get freaked out. I'll probably wear a jacket over it or something."

"Whatever." Knives said rolling his eyes. "What is all that tension going on downstairs?"

Vash placed the game underneath the bed, "What tension?"

"The tension brewing between you and that officious, short spider." He said closing his eyes; obviously the pain-killers were starting to take their effect.

The golden blonde felt his face grow hot and began to stutter, "T-t-there's n-nothing going on!"

Knives slowly opened his eyes and sat up from the bed. "Why are you acting so strange, brother?" His narrowed his eyes, "What are you hiding?"

Turning his face away quickly and feeling the blush burn his cheeks, Vash mumbled something incoherent.

"That's it..." The platinum blonde's eyes widen and his mouth began to quiver.

Vash turned his head back, "Knives?"

"You..." he growled, and Vash instantly began to search for the sedatives. Now where were they?

"You're...YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER!"

Oh there they were, right in the draw that never opened. Great place to put them incase of emergency. Whose idea was that again?

"THOSE FILTHY BEINGS HAVE COMPLETELY CORRUPTED YOU!"

Oh yeah! It was his idea. Maybe a little kick would loosen it...there!

"YOU ARE AN EMBRASSEMENT TO...TO...to..." Knives rant was halted by the injection of sedatives in his arm.

"Yes, yes...now it's time for Knivesy-kins to go to sleep." Vash said as laid his brother back onto the bed. The Plant's entire being seemed to relax, until the painkillers took their full effect and Knives was completely knocked out.

This, Vash knew, was the time to run out of the room before his brother woke up. With luck, Knives would forget about his traumatic discovery by the time he awoke.

But then again...Vash never really _had_ any luck.

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**(AN: Thanks so much for all the positive feedback from everyone! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!**

**Did you know that the human body is supposed to last for about 160 years? There are people who live in cabins on mountains and just sit around and eat yogurt all day who live to be around 120.**

**I've met these people.**

**Their yogurt is nothing to write home about.**

**Now reviews on the other hand…those are something to celebrate!)**


	5. Act V

**Heat Wave **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.**

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Later that night, Vash was once again sitting in front of the fan in the hope that he would be a just a little bit cooler. Take it, the T-shirt did help, but it was still so hot.

"Damn it Knives," he mumbled. "If you were gonna crash the ships and take revenge on all humanity, couldn't you have done it on a cooler planet!"

Speaking of which, he had previously asked Milly to tend to the Plant that night. Vash wasn't sure if Knives would remember the revelation, but if he did, he really didn't want to deal with his complaining.

It was too hot for that.

It was too hot for anything.

"Vash," Meryl voice from the top of the staircase called. "Can you come up here for a second?"

Well maybe not _anything_.

He slowly peeled himself from the floor and made his way up the stairs where he saw the short insurance girl, "What's up?"

"I need your help." Before he could possibly protest or even asked why, he was being dragged into Meryl's bedroom. When she let go of him, he sat on the bed while she rummaged through her closet.

"Um…what do you need help with, insurance girl?" He asked a little embarrassed. He had never really been in her bedroom before.

She pulled out two dresses and Vash instantly panicked. "WOAH! WAIT!" He yelled with his hand up in a defensive position. "If whatever you need help with involves me wearing a dress I am _NOT_ doing it."

"Shut up, broomhead, these dresses aren't for you." Meryl said rolling her eyes. "They're for me."

Vash sighed in relief, "Thank god! The last time I had to wear a dre-" He instantly stopped and looked at the raven haired girl and asked, "You?"

She nodded and faced the mirror. "Now tell me which one you like better. This,"

She pressed a dress against her frame. It was solid black, and strapless.

However, it was a short dress and only ended right above her knees. Vash was sure it would look very nice on her, but the fact that she looked a little _too_ sexy in it made him uneasy. He didn't want every guy to start eye-groping Meryl.

"Or this?"

Vash's eyes widened as a beautiful purple dress took the place of the black one. It was longer the previous, going down to her ankles, and this dress did have straps. Even though it was simply pressed against her, Vash was sure the dress would compliment her figure and bring out the color in her eyes.

He instantly pointed to the dress, "Oh! That one! Pick that one! I like that one!"

Meryl smiled at his antics and looked at herself in the mirror, "Yeah...maybe Mark will too."

As soon as the remark left her mouth, she instantly clamped her mouth shut.

"MARK?" Vash screamed, immediately getting off the bed. "YOU'RE GOING ON A DATE WITH MARK?"

"Vash, lower your voice!" Meryl scolded, "And it's not a date. He's just taking me out for dinner."

He scoffed, "Sure sounds like a date to me!"

She placed both the dressed on the bed and began to rub her temples, "Vash, I thought we settled this."

"Settled what?" He asked, not waiting for an answer. "That you want to go on a date with this guy? Why yes, I believe we have!"

"Vash..." Her voice was an indication of her temper beginning to spark. He didn't care.

"I knew you liked him!" He was now pacing around the room. "I just knew it! You have a thing for the lawyer!"

"And what if I do, Vash?" She fought, walking over to his side of the room and giving him the death glare. "What does it matter to you?"

"It does matter to me if you bring a stranger into this house!"

"The only time I ever brought him in was to meet you and Milly." She growled, "You would know since you were there on the sofa eavesdropping the entire time!"

Vash clenched his fist at his sides. "What do you see in him, Insurance girl?"

"Well for one thing," She smiled a venomous grin. "He doesn't call me "Insurance girl" all the time. He calls me by my name and respects me."

"Yeah," He mumbled under his breath. "Until he uses you, then cheats on you."

"Shut up, Vash!" Meryl screamed losing what little patience she had left. "Just shut up! What the hell do you know about anything? You're too busy distancing yourself from every living being and hopping from town to town to even think about any kind of relationship, friendship or romantic!"

Vash's eyes narrowed and he leaned down so his face was an inch away from hers, "That's because I had a homicidal brother chasing my ass who would slaughter anyone who even gave me directions to the nearest hotel." He snarled. "And you have _no_ idea what my life was like, and the sacrifices I had to make to make sure you and everyone else stayed _alive_."

"Exactly," She said, keeping her ground. Vash was certain she was not going to back down and remembered why he had fallen for her. "I _don't_ have any idea. And whose fault is that?"

Vash was smart enough not to answer her, and she continued.

"You've known Milly and I for about three years and have been living with us for a month, meanwhile you still call us 'Insurance Girls'. Your brother is partly paralyzed and no longer a major threat to humanity. There hasn't been a bounty hunter after your head ever since you've been called a 'Humanoid Localized Disaster' or whatever they called you, and the towns people seemed to finally except you. So face it Vash," She crossed her arms and smirked. "You are a coward. You walk around screaming 'Love and Peace'; meanwhile you can't even trust the people living in your own house."

Something inside Vash snapped at that moment and he instantly turned around and marched out of the room. Meryl was hot on heels as he made his way down the hallway.

"Vash,"

He didn't answer and made his way down the stairs.

She didn't follow him down.

He grabbed a jacket, despite the heat, and jerked the door open.

"Where are you going?" He heard Meryl asked, her voice was wary and sounded as if she were on the verge of crying.

"Out." He answered with a voice so cold he wasn't sure of it was even his, and he left.

--

Meanwhile, in a very small bedroom a tall Insurance agent and Plant eavesdropped on the entire argument.

"What is that banshee screaming about this time?" Knives asked from his bed.

"I think Vash is complaining about Meryl going out tonight."

"Why should he be upset?" The man asked, obviously the day's earlier conversation was forgotten in his mind.

Milly placed a finger in front of her mouth with a "Shush!" and continued to lean against the wall.

With a sigh, Knives leaned back into his pillows and felt the weight of sleep once again overwhelm him. "Damn those pain-killers..." He mumbled and heard another

"Shush!" from Milly.

"You shush!" He answered grumpily.

Both heard the muffled voices leave Meryl's room and roam out into the hallway. When the front door slammed, they both jumped.

Milly stood from her position and walked back to sleepy-Plant's bed. "I'm going to go check on Sempai, Mr. Knives." She said and returned the chess box underneath Knives' bed. "I promise I'll play you tomorrow. Besides, you look very tired."

More than a little peeved for not having something his way, Knives grumbled "Whatever." as she left. He closed his eyes and silently wondered why his brother was acting so odd as sleep began to engulf him. He was acting stranger than usual when they were playing chess earlier...

"WAIT A MINU-" Knives yelled remembering everything about his discovery, but was cut short by the pain-killers knocking him out once more.

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**(AN: I LOVE YOU ALL! **

**Did I say that already?**

**Oh who cares!**

**I LOVE YOU ALL! **

**Over 500 hits and this fic had only been out for a couple of days!**

**Not to mention a C2 addition from my wonderful inkydoo! I love her and her reviews! _(gives Vash plushie)_**

**Thanks to everyone who have been reviewing! You're all so nice! Please keep going! I love hearing from you guys! **

**A special shout-out to **Rak **since I can't respond to you via-author reply!)**


	6. Act VI

**Heat Wave **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.**

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In a grubby saloon where not even the glass of whisky in his hands was his friend, Vash sat perplexed and poignant.

He wanted to curl into a ball on the floor and die, or to run out of the town and forget everything she had said.

This, of course, proved that she was right in her accusations.

How did she _do_ that?

The ice in his whiskey clinked against the glass in response, which wasn't any help at all.

In the corner of his sunglass-covered eyes, Vash notice a regular enter the bar and waved to the bartender.

"Hey Pat, how's it goin'?"

Pat sat in the stool next to Vash. "It'd be goin' better if it weren't for this goddamn heat!"

The bartender nodded and handed him a beer, "Ya know, I hear it's finally gonna break tonight."

"Ya don't say," The man then took a healthy swing of his beer. He looked over at Vash, "Hey buddy, no need to wear that in here." He was obviously talking about his jacket. "Ya gonna get heat stroke!"

Vash just shook his head and looked down at his drink.

"Oy, are ya wearin' sunglasses, too? What a card." Vash ignored him, he wasn't anywhere near the mood to talk with anyone.

"Don't bother with him, Pat." the bartender warned. "He's been sittin' there, not talkin' at all, all night."

The outlaw switched his attention to the window and absentmindedly heard the conversation between Pat and the bartender.

"_Hear about that con-artist whose been hoppin' from town to town?"_

At that moment Vash saw two figures walking past the Saloon window.

"_Yeah, some guy with dark brown hair posing to be some lawyer or somethin'."_

Meryl and Mark.

"_Didn't they say he may be in the area? That's pretty scary!"_

Vash then slapped a couple of double-dollars on the bar, and got up. The bartender continued the conversation as he left.

"_There are some pretty deranged people out there!"_

--

He knew it was a bad idea.

He didn't care.

Vash had his hands in his pockets, his collar up, and his sunglasses on. As long as he stayed pretty far behind them, he was sure they wouldn't notice him.

In the back of his mind, the conversation at the bar replayed over and over.

Mark was trying to wrap his arm around Meryl as they were walking. Vash felt his blood boil and clenched his teeth together.

He had never felt the urge to kill before, _ever_, until that very second.

Part of him was thankful that his gun was left behind and now buried in the dessert sands far away. A part of him that was lost and forgotten as his jealously and rage took over his being.

And Mark was going to get a personal demonstration of that if he didn't back off Meryl in five seconds…four…three…

His steps came to halt when Meryl had shrugged off Mark's arm. Vash could've screamed to the heavens, if it didn't mean blowing his cover. Instead, he made a soft squealing noise in the back of his throat.

The couple had stopped moving, and by the looks (and sounds) of it, the tiny woman was very upset by Mark's pass at her.

Wait a minute…she was _upset_?

Then she _didn't_ like him!

Again the urge to scream overwhelmed the outlaw, but the urge to spy on the couple conquered it.

Vash swiftly made a beeline across the street and heard bits and pieces of their argument.

He heard Meryl say, "Don't…not…it's only dinner, Mark."

And lawyer boy reply with, "Why…c'mon…one day…you know."

Then, to Vash's surprise and trepidation, he saw Mark grab the girl by her forearms and force her into a nearby ally.

Automatically everything about being secretive was forgotten. Vash was on autopilot and rushing to the scene. He got there as soon as Mark pinned a clearly distressed Meryl to the wall, and attempted to kiss her.

He _attempted_ because Vash had punched him in the face before he had the chance too, immediately sending the man to the dusty ground.

Mark had finally done what very few men on Gunsmoke had.

He unleashed the Stampede.

Mark quickly sat up and held his chin, "Who the hell-" He was interrupted by Vash kicking his face and sending him back to the ground.

Vash took deep breaths to try to clam himself as he thought of the ways to kill Mr. Mark Galvin.

There was skinning alive and sprinkling with salt, but Vash was concerned as to where to find salt that late at night.

There was also bludgeoning and scalping, but that would probably be a _little_ too messy.

Ultimately, Vash decided to simply beat the living crap out of him.

Knives would be so proud.

Mark Galvin shakily stood up from the dirt and looked upon his oppressor. His eyes widened with recognition, "Y-you're Vash! That guy from the house!"

The blonde continued to stare at the man, maybe bludgeoning wouldn't be _so_ bad. He could probably clean it up later.

"I was just trying to get Mer home. Honest!" By now the "lawyer" was standing straight on his feet. "I thought I saw someone and wanted to bring Meryl to a safe plac-"

While grabbing Galvin's neck and pinning him to the grimy wall, Vash noticed how easy it would be to kill the man. It would really only take a twist of the wrist.

Only the gagging noises were irritating and the blonde delivered a punch to Galvin's gut before letting him drop back to the ground.

After a coughing fit Mark looked back up at Vash, "Y-y-you're…you're really…him…Vash the Stampede!"

Vash couldn't help but smirk. "Yup," He lifted his long leg and was about to kick the man into oblivion, before he was stopped by a tiny voice.

"Vash…don't…please."

He instantly swung around to see Meryl curled in a ball with her forehead resting on her knees, "He's not worth it…just stop it." He made his way to the insurance girl and kneeled in front of her before gathering her up.

"Meryl…"

The woman looked up; her silvery eyes were filled with tears. She whispered one word before passing out into his arms,

"_Diablo."  
_

**------**

**(AN: Well that was an emotional roller coaster! And guess what loves…**

**The next chapter is the last chapter! _(Gasp!)_**

**So send me reviews, my dears, and soon you'll finally see how this all ends!**

**Another special shout-out to **Rak **who is far too awesome and nice for an account! I send you hugs, kisses, and doughnuts of all kinds! **

**And one for the amazing **igbogal **who sent me such an awesome review that they now get a special notification! **

**See? Reviewing DOES pay off! **

**I love you all so much!)**


	7. Act VII

**Heat Wave **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.**

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He _had_ to be going crazy; the night was never this quite before.

It must be doing it on purpose, to make him dwell on everything. It was mocking him with its stillness.

He walked heavily through the abandoned dirt-streets, his steps lanced with remorse. However, no matter how bad he felt or how many times he considered it, he couldn't help but feel a little bit pleased with himself.

And he _hated_ himself for it.

Mark had passed out as soon as Meryl had spoken up, and was still in that disgusting alley.

Vash had wondered whether or not he should turn him into the sheriff, knowing even if he wasn't the con-artist, he could _certainly_ be put away for sexual harassment.

He decided to let the poor bastard slumber in the alleyway with a pride as broken as his body. Getting Meryl home was far more important anyway.

He looked down at the insurance girl; he had forgotten how small she was and was amazed with how easy she was to carry.

Maybe it was because she was still unconscious and not being antagonistic towards him. Vash couldn't help but love the way her head rested again his torso and how her breath tickled his chest. Her relaxed features simply added to her beauty.

Somewhere during their walk home (which was surprisingly long tonight), Meryl had began to shiver. It seemed as if the bartender was right, and indeed the heat wave had finally broken. Looking down, Vash had noticed what Meryl had gone out in.

The little black dress, the one he knew was far too revealing.

Knowing her, she had done it simply to spite him. Even though she had no intention of him seeing her in it, the thought of going against him was more than enough.

God, he loved her.

He had given her his jacket, not caring if the whole damn town saw his scars. She was cold and she needed it, and that was good enough for him.

They were right in front of the house when Meryl had slowly began to come to, and Vash remembered as to why he had felt so crappy the entire walk home.

He had completely lost control and beaten Mark to a pulp right in front of her. The image of her curled into a ball burnt his mind like fire, and her voice haunted him.

_Diablo._

_Diablo. _

He had terrified her, when all he wanted to do was protect her. Vash knew as soon as she was fully awake she would run away from him. He didn't blame her.

He was a monster.

He made his way to the porch and sat on the front steps.

"Where am I?" Meryl softly asked from his arms. No matter how Vash had tried, he couldn't let her go.

"We're home." he answered sadly.

She made a small noise, which singled the answer was good enough for her. He figured she hadn't fully recollected the night's events until she gasped and shot up in his arms.

"Oh my god!" she yelped, but Vash continued to hold her. Selfish…selfish…

They sat in uncomfortable silence until Meryl asked, "Did you…kill him?"

Vash slowly shook his head and whispered, "No."

"I wouldn't have minded if you did," she sneered. "He was a creep."

Vash didn't find her joke funny, and they were thrown into another awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, Vash." she said, once again pulling them out of the quiet hell. She looked up at him, and Vash felt as if she was trying to look into his soul. It gave him some comfort that he was still wearing his shades. If she _was _able to see his soul, he was sure that she would hate what she saw.

He shook his head, "No, I should be sorry. I-"

"No!" she interrupted. "No! It is not your fault, Vash! You told me he was a scumbag, and he _was_. You told me not to go out with him, and I _did_. I just…" The rest was lost as she buried her face into the jacket.

"Sorry, I'm not fluent in Jacket Mumble." He joked, trying to ease the tension between them. It didn't work, but Meryl raised her face from the coat.

"I just…I…damn it!" she quickly snatched Vash's glasses off his face and replaced them on her own. Apparently she wanted to hide too.

"I...liked how you got jealous of him." She finished with a sigh.

Vash blinked in mystification, "You…_liked_ how jealous I was?" She nodded awkwardly.

So, not only were girls a _complete_ enigma, but they were also horribly evil beings who loved to play with men's emotions. Vash was learning new things about girls everyday.

"Then," she continued and Vash was ripped from his thinking. "You acted like a jerk, and I started to do it just to get you angry." She shook her head, "I know it was stupid and childish, but I wanted you to get a taste of your own medicine."

Vash raised an eyebrow, a taste of his own medicine? What could she mean by…oh!

She was talking about all the girls he used to flirt with on their travels together.

Had she really felt _envious_ of _them_?

"But during that fight, I knew I went too far." She continued. "I should have never asked you to look at the dresses, or anything. I was playing with fire, and you got burnt." She looked up at him, and the sunglasses dropped to the brim of her tiny nose. "I'm so sorry for what I said, Vash. That was completely out of line. The sacrifices you've made in your life…the death…the scars...It was a low blow for me to bring up your past."

She pushed the glasses back up to her face, shielding her eyes. "After dinner, I said to Mark that I thought we shouldn't see each other anymore. I told him it was causing problems, but he wouldn't listen. He said one day I would go back to him or something stupid like that. Then he…" Meryl bit her lip and took a deep breath, "I didn't have my derringers with me, and the way his eyes burnt…I thought I was done for, Vash."

Vash couldn't stand anymore and held her tightly against him. He buried his head in her hair and whispered, "I'm sorry,"

"No, Vash!" she demanded, but didn't pull from his embrace. "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault this time! Don't say sorry, you didn-"

"I saw you two pass the saloon window," he whispered. "And I followed you. I saw you talking and him pull you into the alley." he gulped. "I completely lost it."

By this time he was bawling. He knew it probably looked ridiculous, but he couldn't stop. An emotional dam had broken and everything was flowing out too fast for him to stop.

"I would've killed him, Meryl. I honestly would have _killed_ him, and you want to hear something funny?" He let out a nervous laugh, "I didn't care. I really didn't…because he tried to hurt you. If you didn't stop me...I'm sorry, Meryl. I must've frightened you even more…I'm so sorry." He buried his head in her hair sobbing, and soon she joined him.

They sat together on the porch, holding each other and crying like a couple of children. After they both calmed down a bit, Meryl pulled away and looked up at the blond with a puffy red eyes. She smiled and took off the glasses in order to whip the stray tears from her eyes, "Wanna call it truths, broomhead?"

He nodded with a smile.

"Good," she stuck out her hand. "Let's promise never to play around with each other's emotions or to try to deliberately hurt each other again, okay?"

He took it, but didn't shake it. Instead he pulled her toward him again and kissed her. Vash spilt everything he ever wanted to say, everything he never could say, and just simply _everything_ into the kiss.

When he finally pulled away she asked softly, "What was that for?" He noticed she was blushing and he felt himself do the same.

"Sealed with a kiss," He leaned closer to her and against her lips whispered, "And because I really...love you."

She muttered something that sounded strangely like _'Idiot.' _before kissing him again.

---

Two weeks later, the household was back to its busy motions. Meryl had given up on the night shift and worked the day shift instead. She said it was because it was an easier shift to handle, but Vash knew she was secretly afraid of another Mark to come around.

Mark had fled town, as far as Vash was concerned. He figured much since whenever Vash walked Meryl to work (which was quiet frequently), he would never see hide or head of the little lawyer boy.

Milly went back to work at the well. When Vash had asked her whether or not she was excited she told him that she liked working, and that the house sometimes got too quiet and boring. Vash thought the house was exciting enough, but that was coming from the one who had to watch Knives while the girls were at work.

"Checkmate, brother." Knives said for the thousandth time that day, and it seemed to Vash that every time he did so he got more and more satisfactory from it.

Vash glared at the chess board mumbling, "I hate you. I hate you. I _hate_ you."

"Don't blame the game, Vash. Blame the player." Meryl said as she entered the bedroom with a tray of food, "I brought you two some sandwiches."

Vash's face rose from the board as he swung around to see her at the door, "Hey, hon," He greeted as he ran up to her and gave her a kiss. "I didn't hear you come in!"

"Probably because you were too busy getting your butt kicked," she said with a smile.

Vash pouted, "That's not nice."

She kissed his cheek, "Better?"

Vash was about to answer when he heard his brother groan from his position on the bed. "What's wrong, Knivesy-kins?" he asked, facing his brother. "You want Meryl to kiss you too?"

'Knivesy-kins' gave Vash the death-glare and spat, "Of course not, you imbecile! It's just the thought of you two together makes me absolutely sick to my stomach!"

"Oh, if you're sick then I take it you won't want one of these sandwiches." Vash said as nonchalantly took a sandwich from the tray and began to eat. "That's cool, more for me then."

Meryl ignored her boyfriend's actions, "Knives, would you stop complaining already? You sound like a broken record." She placed the dish onto the bedside table.

"No I will not stop complaining, you galling Spider! This…_fling_ you two are having is simply unorthodox and completely disgusting!"

Meryl eyed the chess table, "What if beat you in chess?"

"What?" Knives asked taken aback.

The short woman sat in the seat Vash was previously occupying, "If I you beat me in chess, Vash and I can stop this "fling" as you call it. But," She smirked, "If I win, you have to stop your nasty attitude about us. Agreed?"

Knives let out a laugh, "You must be joking."

"Try me."

The Plant smiled viciously, "Alright, Spider. I will agree to your terms. On one condition,"

"What's that?" Meryl asked raising an eyebrow.

"You don't cry when I win."

"Oh don't worry," she said, placing the pieces in their correct places. "I won't."

--

To be honest, Vash wasn't very confident about Meryl's idea. Knives had been playing chess since...well forever. He wasn't sure if even Milly could beat him, and she was a chess master. Needless to say, he was more than a litte shocked to see that Meryl actually knew what she was doing and was a good chess player. A _really_ good chess player.

Sometime during the game Milly had come home. She opened the door to be met by two death glares and a wave from Vash. The two opponents went back to their game and she gave Vash a puzzled expression. He patted the seat next to him on the floor, offered her a sandwich and explained the situation.

After two hours, and two hundred angry glares of death later...the moment of truth had finally come. Milly and Vash sat on the floor in awe, the sandwiches were long since eaten and the tray sat empty beside them.

Knives looked at the chess board, his eyes were wide with dread, "Oh no..."

"Oh yes..." Meryl smiled evilly.

"This can't be..."

"Oh yes it can..."

"No! It can't be...not-"

Meryl slammed her white piece onto the board, "CHECKMATE, KNIVESY-KINS!"

Milly let out a cheer and Vash raced over and hugged his girlfriend so tight he was sure she was suffocating.

"There has to be a mistake!" Knives yelled, and frantically looked over the chess board. "There is _NO_ way I was just beaten by a spider! No way!"

Milly strolled over and glanced over the board, "Wow, Mr. Knives, it sure does look like it!" She smiled and patted the Plant's back, "You played a good game! Better luck next time!" She turned to her best friend, "I never knew you could play chess, Sempai!"

Meryl laughed as she peeled her boyfriend off her. "Ugh! Vash get off me you broom-headed moron!" He loosened his grip, and she turned to Milly, "I don't really play all that often, but I've seen some of the men at the tavern play and learned some tips." She shrugged. "I basically winged the entire thing."

"_YOU WHAT?_" Both Plant twins screamed.

Vash looked down at the insurance agent, "Meryl I'm surprised at you, gambling so haphazardly!" He narrowed his eyes, "I'm a bad influence on you!"

She smiled and kissed his nose.

Knives groaned from the bed. "Where are those pain-killers?" He asked wanting to be freed from the sickening nightmare he'd been thrown into.

"In the draw that never opens." Vash answered. "One day I'll get around to fixing it."

Meryl rolled her eyes as Knives screamed into a pillow.

This, Vash was sure, was _true_ love and peace.

**The End**.

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**Well that's a wrap, darlings! After seven chapters, and 1000 hits later…this fanfiction has finally come to a close. I have to say this is the most fun I've ever had!**

**Thanks to my reviewers:** Alaena Night, Pyro-chan623, inkydoo, La Flor del Fuego, igbogal, Ajd262, Alice of the Knives, jr forever, Rak, Aine of Knockaine, Gaddes, Manquehuito**…and anyone else I forgot by total accident! I love you all so much! Thanks for the support and optimism! You guys are amazing!**

**And to my two readers who put me on alerts and didn't review: **Crunchy Snape, **and** jack525525

**To **kuroneko107 **who added this story to their favorites!**

**And again to **inkydoo **for the C2 add.**

**Last but not least, a very special thanks to** **my best friend in the entire world **Pyro-chan623 **Without her, people, there would be NO story! Thank you for being a test-reader and everything. **

**Don't forget to still review! Just because it's over doesn't mean I don't want to hear from you! I don't want you all to suddenly get lazy on me!**

**Until next time, folks!**

**x3 Chibi Monkey13**


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